April 25, 2015 -- In observance of Arbor Day, the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee hosted a tree planting at Clifton Park this past Wednesday. The springtime tradition, in which the Sea Cliff School second grade plays the central role, takes place at one of the village's many parks each year. This year's event was organized by Beautification Committee member Stephanie Bross.

The event has become an important part of the Sea Cliff School second grade curriculum, as it has provided important lessons regarding ecology, and has been aligned with the students' poetry unit.

On Friday afternoon, the young children, braving the brisk windy weather, walked to Sea Cliff's largest park, where they gathered at its east end, near Locust Avenue, and recited environmentally themed poems, sang songs, and helped finish planting the tree (a Limber Pine) by covering the root ball with soil and mulch. Ms. Bross read Shel Silverstein's poem "The Giving Tree." Gary Martin, of Ireland Gannon Associates, donated the tree and assisted in its planting. This particular pine, Mr. Martin explained, has soft needles that are not painful to brush against - a good choice for a park where many children play. The event concluded with the children enjoying grapes, watermelon and canteloupe provided by the Sea Cliff Beautification Committee.